Georgian Parliament Speaker: hate speech prevention work could help restore EU’s damaged reputation

The European Union’s damaged reputation could be partly restored through the work of the Hate Speech Prevention Department, said on Monday Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

In his remarks, Papuashvili noted that hate speech has become associated with pro-European forces in the eyes of the Georgian public.

"The Hate Speech Prevention Department will bring many positive changes. First, it will help reduce externally imposed hate in Georgia. This is important, including for political debate. When pro-European forces resort to insults and abusive language, it naturally suppresses any meaningful public discussion. Therefore, this is an important issue for both our political landscape and national security, as it will help prevent escalation fueled by hate speech”, he said.

“Second, it could help partly restore the European Union's damaged reputation. Today, in the eyes of Georgians, hate is associated with being pro-European. We see that those who claim to be pro-European are the main sources of hate and the primary spreaders of abusive language on social media and beyond. What suffers as a result is the reputation of the European Union itself”, the Speaker continued.

Papuashvili concluded by emphasising that if the European Union did not want to continue being associated with vulgarity, insults, and hate speech, he believed it should support the initiative, which “will ultimately compel the so-called pro-European forces to return to civil and respectful rhetoric free from abusive language and clearly explain what they stand for”.